Data-themed articles, essays, and studies

The Rand Summarization

It’s not a tech thing – I was actually thinking of books. Ayn Rand’s in particular, and whether it would be possible to summarize a couple of her outings in one sentence. Or even a page.

Summarizing a book or movie in a sentence must be very creative work. Even getting technical or business books down to a page is a real achievement.

I enjoyed TCM’s summary of The Fountainhead: “An idealistic architect battles corrupt business interests and his love for a married woman.” That’s very good, even if it doesn’t fully capture Ayn Rand’s conception of an ideal man as Frank Lloyd Wright’s mind in the body of Gary Cooper. Or warn potential viewers of Rand’s oddly leaden dialogue. But still, it’s a good film,. and a surprisingly engaging book.

Atlas Shrugged, on the other hand, is what happens when the world’s editors go into hiding, while the weight of your writing brings all attempts at reading your book to a grinding halt. I guess it’s a movie series now, but thus far beyond even TCM’s prowess at one-sentence synopses.